Eight survive after boat ran out of fuel, adrift for seven days

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By LARRY ANDREW
RELEASING a dead body into the sea in front of family members is not a cultural context in Papua New Guinea especially for those living in coastal areas. This scene became a reality in the lives of the eight survivors who were adrift for seven days after their boat ran out of fuel trying to cross Vitiaz Strait to Siassi Island from Finschhafen with a dead body on Feb 9, survivor Mesulam Yesa said.
Survivors Yesa and Biaro Wesley, who were set to travel to Finschhafen yesterday, with rescuer Rex Ewogo and Oro Bay ward 25 councillor David Peuba, after arriving at Voco Point from Ambasi village in Oro Bay LLG, Ijivitari, Northern, told The National of their plight during a mishap and how they were rescued.
Yesa said on that fateful day crossing the Vitiaz Strait around midday, the sea was rough and the boat consumed a lot of fuel and by the time they reached the latitude that international ships travelled, their fuel had run out.
“There was no network connection where we could call our families and tell them what had happened.
“so we drifted the whole night bailing out water that was getting into the boat from the rain, and were so tired not knowing whether the tide had carried us towards West New Britain, Milne Bay or Northern.”
Yesa said around 1pm on Monday, they spotted an overseas vessel MV Double Miracle, which save them five loaves of bread and 15 bottles of water (1.5 litres), some ice and two 15 litres of fuel.
It gave them direction to go to the nearest island in West New Britain.
However, another member of the boat redirected them to what he thought was a bay and they used up all their fuel and drifted again.
Yesa said during this time the body they had been transporting started to give off a bad smell and by the fifth day, they decided to release it into the sea with the consent of the mother.
Ewogo said he saw the boat from the coast and the attempts from those on board trying to hail passing boats.
He got in his canoe and paddled out to them.
“I saw they were all crying and said they needed help as they had been drifting in the sea for six days,” Ewogo said.
He managed to help the boat to the shore and got his community to help them.
Ewogo said the community took care of the survivors and helped them regain their strength, and by Sunday, communications were established with their families which saw a Manolos helicopter airlift five of the survivors to Lae.